if there were a post-election "accident"

[Literate Tar Heel]

I guess I could be non-lazy and look this up somewhere myself, but I figure someone here knows -- what would happen if Kerry wins the election, but sometime between Election Day and January 20, he is flying somewhere and his plane suffers a "mechanical failure" similar to Carnahan's or Wellstone's? and does it make any difference if Edwards is also on the plane, or do president-elects and vice president-elects not fly together, similar to how the president and vice president never fly together?

[Scooter24]

1. Technically...

Edwards will be sworn in. He was voted in a national election as the number 2 and the constitutional chain of succession still applies.

[Literate Tar Heel]

2. that's why I asked the 2nd question

what if the same "accident" or a different one were to eliminate Edwards?

[Scooter24]

3. Well then...

I believe it's the Speaker of the House that becomes President. (god help us)

Bush does not get to keep his position by default. If he loses, he is out.

[Ironpost]

4. Then It goes to the speaker of the house, I think. maybe wrong though.

[Literate Tar Heel]

7. that's what I was thinking too

but wasn't sure how tight the line of succession remained when there is a scheduled change of administration ... is there technically a Speaker of the House between Election Day and when the new Congress first convenes? say Hastert were up for re-election in November and lost

[Scooter24]

9. So then

we have no Speaker, no President or VP, and no Cabinet? Then probably the Majority Leader of the House or Senate?

[Ironpost]

10. I believe up and until the swearing in of the new the old remains

[Lerkfish]

5. Alexander Haig :) nt

nt I said.

[Ironpost]

12. Alexander Haig, now that was a scary fella' If I ever seen one. shutter

at the mention of said name.

[Blue Wally]

6. Depends

If it happens between the election and the meeting of the electoral college, the Kerry electors can vote for anyone they choose. If it happens after the electoral college has met and "elected" the president, normal rules of succession should apply.

[Scooter24]

8. Oh man...

would the GOP be pissed...lol

[Blue Wally]

11. yes

the electors could vote for Dean, Hillary, Michael Moore, Gephardt, Ted Kennedy. It would be their call. Of course if the Democratic electors couldn't agree, the choice would be made by the House.

If it was just Kerry who died, Edwards would not automatically be president unless the electors chose him.

Remember, we do not vote for Kerry, we vote for electors pledged to him.

[Warpy]

13. The new Congress would sit and the new Speaker of the House

would be next in line for the presidency.

That's why it's not only critical to unseat Bush, but also to dump all those sanctimonious right wing babble thumping twits out of Congress, as well.

[Literate Tar Heel]

17. when does the new Congress sit though?

it's not before Jan. 20, is it? would they have an emergency meeting? could we be looking at President Tom DeLay? how much is a one-way ticket to Canada?

[RoyGBiv]

14. As others have said...

It depends, mostly on when it happens.

Assuming both die after the electoral college has cast their votes, this does not mean the normal order of succession applies however. The 25th amendment deals with this.

Basically, we'd have a President and a VP elected by Congress.

[TankLV]

15. If that were to happen, there would be a repuke government.

And if THAT were to happen, I would probably be in a secret prison somewhere, or dead, because I would be advocating the overthrow of that repuke government and it's replacement by the DEMOCRATIC one that was elected in the first place.

It is really sad that the country has reached a point, never before in over 200 + yearsl, this possibility is even being discussed now.

[Literate Tar Heel]

16. well, it occurred to me

that if all else failed (Diebold, voter disenfranchisement, terror attacks/scares, etc.), would it really be that much more after all they've done already to arrange a couple of "accidents" for Kerry and Edwards to ensure they stay in power for 4 more years and avoid getting brought up on war crimes? not trying to be an alarmist or say it would actually happen, but if many feel they would arrange a couple of small terror attacks in selected cities to influence an election, what's 2 more people dead?

[MallRat]

18. The VP-elect would become President-elect.

But if Kerry and Edwards both go, then we're f*cked.

-MR

[SheilaT]

19. As interesting as this speculation is,

I don't imagine the Bush cabal will use this kind of thing to stay in power. It's much too crude.

I can think of any number of other ways to steal the election in the first place. My current personal favorite involves some kind of power surges in certain, select precincts, rendering the electronic machine counts a little goofy. Another one I like is heightened terror alerts in certain, select areas, with accompanying advice to stay home that day.

Failing that, meaning Kerry actually wins the vote count and presumably the electoral college, all it would take is a few Republican legislatures in states where Kerry won to certify the Republican slate of electors. And of course, the Supreme Court would uphold such a thing.

I have little confidence that a President Kerry will actually be inaugurated on January 20, 2005, and I'd love to be proven a pessimistic fool on that date.

[taxidriver]

20. imagine having your kerry/edwards presidency replaced by hastert.

holy crap, that would be the letdown of the century.

..and quite a coup, for any bushies who arent happy with actually losing the election.